Exhibitions
Join Us
Exhibition Schedule
The MACC presents between six and eight local, regional and international exhibitions every year. Check them out.
Remembrances of a Legend
1968: A Folsom Redemption
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April 6 to May 25, 2024
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Free Admission
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Opening April 6, 6-8 p.m.
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Artist Talks April 6, 2-3 p.m., 5-6 p.m.
Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center celebrates Johnny Cash’s best-known performances by presenting the exhibition 1968: A Folsom Redemption. The 31 photos in this exhibit cover a critical juncture in the career of Johnny Cash, one of the 20th century’s most beloved performers.
In January 1968, Johnny Cash was at a crossroads. His music career, in a slow decline for several years, was in need of a smash hit. He had recently straightened out his personal life, and leadership changes at his record label meant he was able to finally convince them of the merits of a live recording in a prison setting. Cash had been performing for inmates as far back as 1957, when he received a stream of requests from prisoners who identified with the man who sang “Folsom Prison Blues.”
Working as freelance journalists, photographer Dan Poush and writer Gene Beley met with Cash and his family the day before the concerts began. The Reverend Floyd Gressett, a friend of Cash’s who ministered to inmates, helped set up the show at Folsom State Prison. After practicing the set with the Tennessee Three at Hotel El Rancho the night before, on January 13, 1968, Cash, along with opening acts Carl Perkins and the Statler Brothers, performed two separate shows in the dining hall at Folsom. Notable for capturing Cash’s ability to connect with his audience, the recordings crackled with the excitement of an adoring crowd. The resulting album, At Folsom Prison, was released four months later to critical and popular acclaim.
This special exhibition was organized by ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. Its presentation at the MACC is made possible in part by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information about 1968: A Folsom Redemption, call (615) 822-0789.
Fifth Annual Moonlight & Magnolias
Attributes of a Visionary
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April 28, 2024 to June 2, 2024
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Free Admission
The renowned contemporary artist Kevin “Kre8” Vigil will be the featured artist for Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center’s Fifth Annual Moonlight & Magnolias fundraiser. Born in Germany in 1980 to a German mother and a father of Mexican descent serving in the Army, Kre8 first gained prominence as a graffiti and tattoo artist. He later shifted his focus to painting, becoming popular with art collectors after his breakthrough showing at the 2018 Art Basel contemporary art fair in Miami, Fla.
Kre8’s unique artistic style, known as Kre8tizm, captivated collectors, drawing admirers from all walks of life and age groups. Described as a blend of modern-contemporary abstract and surrealism with elements of pop and street art, Kre8tizm is a visual representation of the artist’s philosophy. Notably, all of Kre8’s characters are faceless, a deliberate response to the judgment he experienced due to the tattoos on his own face. He implores others not to judge him based on appearances but rather by his outlook on life and his artistic vision.
In his artwork, Kre8 employs black-and-white to symbolize the stark reality between truth and lies that permeate our world. Color, on the other hand, represents us, emphasizing the diversity and vibrancy that each individual brings to the world. Kre8’s style has garnered tremendous acclaim, leading to more than 30 sold-out exhibitions across the globe.
For more information about Moonlight and Magnolias and the MACC’s Kre8 exhibition, please call (615) 822-0789.
Monthaven's
Upcoming Exhibitions
Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center presents some of the world’s greatest art in galleries that are intimate and inviting. Subscribe to our newsletter and discover the magic that awaits.
The Art of Bernie Taupin
American Resurrection
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June 9 to July 14, 2024
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Free Admission
Bernie Taupin is best known as a lyricist. As a teenager in the late 1960s, he formed a songwriting partnership with the singer-songwriter-pianist Elton John. Together, this duo made history, creating a substantial catalog of original songs that have sold more than 300 million records worldwide.
In addition to these musical endeavors, Taupin has also been a long-time visual artist. This summer, Taupin will showcase 25 of his major works at the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center, in an exhibition titled American Resurrection. These amazing works pay tribute to Taupin’s lifelong passion for American art and pop culture.
Taupin has been pursuing his passion for painting since the early 1990s. His early work was inspired by groundbreaking Abstract Expressionists, including Hans Hoffman, Franz Kline, Anselm Kiefer, and Robert Rauschenberg.
Taupin says, “As in any creative field, we start by emulating work we like, following the path that ultimately leads to finding our own vision, a style we feel is original and unique in its own beliefs, on its own merits.”
Taupin’s artwork evolved from explorations of Abstract Expressionism to experimentations with text-based content and minimalist Pop Art concepts. By 2017, his works became sculptural constructions bound with cord and wire on canvas. During this period, he often expressed himself with found objects and repurposed material and artifacts. Taupin’s multi-layered creations include manipulated flags, scorched paper, wax, wire, wood, corrugated cardboard, fabric, bubble wrap, and resin.
An American Resurrection is curated by Karen and Michael Bivins, International Gallerists. For more information about American Resurrection, call (615) 822-0789.
Inspirational Stories from the Lovelady Center
Portraits of Hope
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July 20 to August 18, 2024
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Free Admission
Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center is pleased to welcome the traveling exhibition Portraits of Hope: Inspirational Stories from the Lovelady Center. The exhibit portrays women and staff from the Lovelady Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
In 2004, Brenda Lovelady Spahn founded The Lovelady Center, a faith-based rehabilitation facility in Birmingham, Alabama where women come to live for nine to twelve months as they recover from addiction, domestic violence, or incarceration. The Center strives to help women rebuild their lives and walk forward with faith-driven hope for the future and a renewed sense of self. The Center not only provides food, shelter, and clothing for its residents, but it also teaches women valuable life skills and how to overcome the barriers to success in their lives.
In 2021, Beverly McNeil, Birmingham resident and owner of the nationally recognized portraiture agency Portraits, Inc., established Portraits of Hope, Inc. to help raise funds and visibility for The Lovelady Center. All of the subjects featured in this exhibit are associated with The Lovelady Center – some are residents, some are staff members, and others are ministers. Each painting was created by a different artist who volunteered their time and talents to the Portrait Project, a mission to show the featured women a better version of themselves — and to give hope to others who might need help reimagining themselves. A collection of the portraits, each accompanied by the women’s stories in their own words, is now part of a book titled Portraits of Hope.
For more informatiomn about Portraits of Hope, call (615) 822-0789.
Salvador Dalí's The Divine Comedy
Hello Dalí!
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August 24 to October 13, 2024
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Free Admission
Welcome to the captivating world of Salvador Dalí, a visionary artist whose work transcends the boundaries of conventional artistry. Salvador Dalí was one of the most captivating and challenging artists of the 20th century. While many remember Dalí for his notorious reputation, he was also a deeply spiritual man and frequently used his singular Surrealist perspective to illustrate scenes taken straight from the Bible.
In 1951, Salvador Dalí embarked on a 14-year project to create original engravings illustrating Dante’s epic poem “The Divine Comedy.” Dalí’s attention to detail was meticulous—he created over 100 watercolor studies, worked tirelessly with the publisher, and even personally approved the more than 3,000 woodblocks used for the engravings. The final result was a series of 100 breathtaking engravings bringing the classic poem to life.
Join us as we explore the mesmerizing world of Dalí’s Divine Comedy engravings, where the surreal meets the sacred, and the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary.
For more information about “Hello Dali” please call (615) 822-0789.
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